Osteoarthritis is a joint disease that causes the cushion layer between your bones (aka: cartilage) to wear away. It is also called degenerative joint disease.  It is not known what causes joint cartilage to wear away. But it is known that osteoarthritis is more common as you get older or if you are very overweight. Sometimes a serious knee injury can bring on arthritis after a few years.  Osteoarthritis can affect any joint in your body, and it is the most common type of arthritis.

A doctor may recommend therapies to help relieve your pain. For example:

• Rest your knee or avoid activities that make your pain worse.
• Put ice on your knee for 20 to 30 minutes a few times a day to reduce inflammation and ease the pain.
• Take an over-the-counter medicine, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
• Do physical therapy or certain exercises to help strengthen the muscles around the joint.

For physical therapy and strengthening exercises of the knee Whole Body Vibration is a great option.   A study was completed to assess the effects of WBV exercise on muscle strength and proprioception in female patients with osteoarthritis in the knee.  They were randomly assigned to one of three groups:  WBV-on a stable platform, WBV-on a balance board, or a control group. 

The WBV groups trained twice a week for 8 weeks with an intensity gradually increasing.  The WBV groups performed unloaded static WBV exercise.  The following were measured: knee muscle strength (extension/flexion) and proprioception (threshold for detection of passive movement (TDPM).

It was found that muscle strength increased significantly in the WBV-stable platform compared to the control group.  TDPM was also significantly improved in the WBV-balance board group compared to the control group.  This study showed that the WBV-exercise regime on a stable platform yielded increased muscle strength, while the WBV-exercise on a balance board showed improved threshold for detection of passive movement.

This study shows that WBV exercise is a safe, fast, and effective method for rehabilitation of women with knee Osteoarthritis.